MOLLY AND ME!: A first...Rattlesnake Gutter Road

5/13/11

We're moving up in the world. Molly was 7 months old yesterday and we embarked on a 4 mile hike in Leverett. I have been conservative with her because Berners are prone to serious orthopedic issues. Gradually increasing the mileage and degree of difficulty is highly recommended. Not a great idea to place a lot of stress on joints when pups are growing.

It was a beautiful bright sunny day. The visuals were outstanding.
We parked at the coop and I had some homemade broccoli/cheese soup. Yummy! This was to be the starting point for our hike. Molly was as usual raring to go. We promptly dismissed the two small "yappers" that greeted us as we passed by and moved on to the horses. Now MOLLY thought these were real "dogs" of substance. Of course when one weighs 70 lbs at 7 months, size and substance are critical. "Bigger is better."

After paying homage we moved on.

Molly barks out "Times a wasting. Let's get hiking!"

We headed down to the river and Molly was duly impressed. She has experienced a river but nothing quite like this. This one has a giant waterfall and much care was taken so that she would not experience it "up close and personal". I didn't get a good pic of the falls this time.

Molly then made an independent decision to have a good roll. There is nothing quite like a roll when one is soaking wet. Odors are absorbed 100 fold. Noxious to humans is a big plus!

Total bliss! We press on. The gutter itself is magnificent. Leverett's "little grand canyon." I am in awe of it all four seasons. Pics never seem to do it justice.

I could not capture the dimensions of the gorge down below and the large rock cliffs. My camera is broken and the cell isn't very good.

We pressed on to the end and back. Molly very much enjoyed the terrain and small rivers beds.